A Panda's Instinct
by inkPlay
Summary: Leah discovers the Pendant of Azura, a mysterious necklace that can transform her into one of the alien race. How will she cope with double crossing, heartbreaks and tough battles? Who will be the true enemy?
1. Chapter 1: Discovery

A Pandas Instinct

_Chapter One:_

_Discovery_

It was a warm fall day when I stumbled over this tree root. I'd been walking through the woods absent-mindedly, thinking about the dream last night.

As I fell to the ground I saw...something shimmer on the forest floor.

This fall would change my life in ways I couldn't possibly imagine.

I landed with a painful thud but got up quickly, more interested in the shimmering object ahead of me. I fell to my knees to examine the mysterious object more closely. To my surprise, it was a necklace.

It had a jagged, oval shaped stone held by a strip of metal twisted around the top to hold it in place. This was attached to a silver charm with what looked like two hands between some kind of shape that could have been an arrow engraved in to it. This was on a silver chain that was also twisty and complicated. I gently touched the stone with my pointer finger.

The stone glowed a cloudy dark blue. As sudden as the glow had come, it faded away. I picked up the necklace and swung it so the stone was pointing down.

It began in a flash of light.

In the midst of where I was sitting, I saw a green light that seemed come from nowhere, like I had cut a hole through thin air.

I cautiously reached to touch it and as my fingers met with the tare, they went through. I stuck my head through, to find on the other side was some kind of stone ruins surrounded by odd green mist.

At this point I was so compelled I forgot were the other half of my body was. I leaned forward, and of course, there had to be a rock right in front of my foot. So, obviously I fell through the tare like a dolt. I grimaced at the pain in my leg.

Looking up at the tare, I didn't think it was at all in my reach.

I thought if anyone or any_thing_ I lived here (even though I wasn't sure why they would want to) they might think I was trespassing, and the thought of being trapped here got my adrenaline pumping. I slipped behind one of the vast stone pillars, out of sight.

For now?


	2. Chapter 2: Trapped

_A Pandas Instinct _

_Chapter Two:_

_Trapped _

I peeked around the pillar cautiously and saw a tall, green haired boy suddenly appear out of nowhere. He had long pointy ears and was dressed in strange clothing. "With all do respect Pai, do we honestly have come back _here_?" He said to the taller, purple haired one with one had on his hip.  
_  
__So there __**are**__ people here! Please dont find me!_ I prayed. I glanced down at the necklace in my hand. Something was different about my hand. My fingers looked longer than usual, my skin was pale and lifeless.  
_I dont have time to worry about stupid things right now. I have to get out of here!_ I put my hands on the sides of my head in frustration.

"What in heck..." I mouthed. Instead of feeling the usual curve of the tops of my ears, I felt them extend to a subtle point.

I looked down, staring at the strange clothes that had replaced my sweatshirt and jeans.  
Black boots that held up by white rope-like material wrapped around in X patterns covered my feet. There were long, bandage-like things wrapped around my legs. On my right leg the bandages were black, and the left white. I had a black skirt that went down to the middle of my thigh and then turned into long rag-like strips. My shirt was similar to the boots, also black with white X fabric which extended into short drapes over an area of my bicep. Black armwarmers clung to my arms.

_It's a dream! That's it! I hit my head when I fell and now I'm passed out somewhere, I'll surely wake up soon._I tried to convince myself.

I nodded my head in approval of the theory. Some of my long hair fell into my face. I tried to brush it away, but stopped cold. My hair was **not** supposed to appear sliver.

"HOW?!" I shouted without thinking.

I jolted upward in astonishment, but instead of landing back in my hiding place my feet were lifted off the ground and my body was suspended in the air. I was in sight of everyone in the ruins.

The purple haired person crunched his eyebrows together in confusion.

The green haired boy hadn't noticed me somehow and kept talking. "Isn't there anywhere _else_ we ca-..." he stopped, and shifted his gaze in the same direction.

Me.

He smirked unpleasantly.

I saw a bright light appear above his palm, which came hurdling towards me. I was so stunned that I forgot how to move.

The light encased me. I felt something slimy wrap around me. I fell to the ground in the slimy prison.

Could this get any worse?


	3. Chapter 3: Answers

_**A Panda's Instinct**_

_Chapter Three:_

_Answers_

"Who's this? A little spy?" The green haired boy chuckled sarcastically. He floated closer to me with his hands on his hips.

_Can't…move…_ I thought, struggling against the pressure of the slime that was wrapped around me.  
The boy propped me up against one of the stone pillars.

Adrenaline rushed through me as he lifted my chin with his index finger. I closed my eyes tightly.

"Heh. Cute one." He said, cocking my head to one side. My eyes shot open. I attempted you shout, but the slime had left a gap between my shoulders and my chin, where it then curled around my mouth. I was hopeless.

"Who are you?" he demanded. His eyes were narrowed, the two others had joined him. A midget with short brown hair in two poofy ponytails on either side of his head, and a tall purple haired one that looked very curious.

"Yeah, how did you get here anyway?" spat the short one.

I tried to distract myself from looking up at the tare, which was right behind the three. I kept my eyes fixed on their long ears .

_Should I show them the necklace or not? What if they know something? Maybe they think I'm an enemy…_

I felt everyone's eyes prying at me, waiting to hear what I had to say. I was completely at loss. I struggled against the green mass encasing my torso and mouth.

The green haired one held out his palm and a small ball of light formed over it. He tossed the light at me. I felt the blob of slime melt away from my arms and face. Before I could protest, two pale hands snatched my wrists and thrust me backwards. I slammed painfully into the pillar behind me. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself properly." He hissed with the same evil smirk as before, "I'm Kish."  
I flinched in distress, causing the pendant to partially slip through my fingers.

"I see you've got something there…" He snickered,

"No!!" I cried and threw my arm out. He had snatched the pendant out from under my clamped fingers. Kish examined the necklace. I tried to charge at him but the one with brown hair extended his arm causing dark green vines to burst from the ground, coiling around me.

"Be a good prisoner and stay put." the short one chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes and struggled but it was no use, I was stuck. "Hey Pai, do you recognize this?" Kish asked the purple haired one as he dangled the necklace on a finger. The tall one walked over to get a better look. His eyes narrowed slightly. He spun around to face me, looking suspicious.  
"How did you say you got here again?"  
"I didn't. And I won't tell you until you stop this nonsense, you perverts!" The midget rolled his eyes, and I felt the vines slip down to the floor.

"Spit it out already!" the midget spat while I rubbed my arms.  
"Why do you care anyway?" I muttered.

"Look,"  
Kish's firm grip returned to pinning me to the stone, he lowered his head to my level until his nose was inches from mine. I struggled but his grip was too firm. His skin was cold, sending shivers through my body. "We're not here to play games. Tell us how you got here!" He sneered with his eyes narrowed.

"And could you refrain from pinning me to the wall?!" I hollered.  
A short, triple-tipped sword appeared in his hand, he edged it closer to my neck,  
I was completely frozen.  
"If that's how you want this to go…"  
"That's enough, Kisshu." Pai interrupted abruptly. He took a step closer.

"Explain yourself or face the consequences."  
I stared at the sword, and twitched as it moved closer to my neck. "Alright! Fine!"

The sword dropped to Kish's side.

"A-all I know is I fell through _that_," I indicated the tare looming over our heads, "and all of the sudden, I transformed into…_this_."

I lightly brushed my now pointed ear with my fingertips.  
"I can't believe it, she ripped through the dimension." Pai mumbled to himself. He was floating now, examining the tare.

"So do you know anything?" I insisted.  
"I'll return shortly, I'm going to do some research." he said, disappearing into a ripple-like portal.

"So you're saying this isn't your normal form? You said something about 'transforming'…" The short one asked.

"No! I don't know what happened…I'm a human!" I pleaded, slumping against a near-by pillar in frustration.

"Human?!" They recited in unison.

I buried my face in one of my hands.

"I thought she was from back home…just assumed she stole the pendant or something…" The short one wondered out loud, "I gotta tell Pai about this, stay here with the prisoner, Kisshu."  
"I have a **name** you know." I called after him, but he'd already disappeared.  
_Stupid aliens._ I threw a glance a Kissu. He was staring.

"What?" I asserted, turning my body to face him.

"Eh?…It's nothing." He said, expressionless.

"You act like you've never seen a girl in your _life._"

"What?! That's not it at all!"

"But of course, the only girls _you've_ probably ever met are the ones who you spontaneously pin to the nearest wall…"

He narrowed his eyes. "Well at least I don't have microscopic ears."

"They're perfectly _normal_ compared to yours!" I argued

Kisshu merely rolled his eyes and changed the subject. "So, human, you have a name?"

"It's Leah." I said flatly.

We both became silent, staring at each other like we were foreigners.

_The dream! _I thought, _**That's**__ why he looks so familiar, I saw him in a dream last night!_

~What dream is Leah thinking of? What will everyone learn about the mysterious pendent? Find out in _A Pandas Instinct- _Chapter four: The Dream, coming soon!~


	4. Chapter 4: The Dream

_**A Panda's Instinct **_

_Chapter Four: The Dream_

I gaped at my case of déjà-vu. _How could I have known what he looks like without ever meeting him before?!_

"Um…you got a problem over there?" I'd been sub-consciously staring at Kisshu's face without realizing it. My eyes drifted to the ground in frustration.

"You'll think I'm crazy…"

"I already do. What is it?" He asked, not an ounce of curiosity in his voice.

_Here goes nothing,_ I thought.

"Well, I had a dream last night. You were in it. I just don't understand-"

"Go on."

"I was in a garden…with rose bushes around the boarder. You were lying in the center, bleeding. I thought you were dead. While I got closer to you, I saw a face in the bushes. It was blurry, I can't quite remember…"

There was a silence between.

"That's…a bit creepy, you'd have to admit." Kisshu implied slyly. I folded my arms.

"Well no one asked you."

"You're the one who brought it up!" He shouted. We turned our backs to each other.

Pai and the other shorter alien materialized on the other end of the floating platform.

"Thank you for allowing me to study this object of yours." Pai said. He pitched the necklace in my direction. I caught it before it soared over my head.

"Er…you're welcome I guess. Did you find out anything about it?"

He shook his head. "All I discovered was the name, 'Pendent of Azura'. The section of the book that I found the information was in a very old language, I need to translate it somehow."

"Ah, I guess that means I can leave then?" I said, glancing up at the tare that I'd fallen through in the first place. I started to make my way towards it, attempting to fly once more.

"You're kidding right?" Kisshu sneered from behind me after I clumsily smashed into one of the floating stone pillars. Suddenly two arms wrapped around my waist.

"Hey, what?!" I shouted, blood rushing to my pale cheeks. He thrust me through the tare, back to the inlet in the forest. "See you~!"

The tare evaporated, along with my alien features. I groaned. That had all been a dream, right?

I still felt the cold metal pendent pressed against my now-human palms. After hanging it around my neck and pulling my black sweatshirt closer to my body, I slowly made my way back home.


	5. Chapter 5: Agreement

_**A Panda's Instinct **_

_Chapter Five: Agreement_

I stared out the window of the bus. It was still early and the sun was just coming up, though I could barely make out my surroundings due to the fog that kept lining the window. I pulled the sleeve of my gray sweatshirt over my wrist and rubbed the glass.

Recognizing the bent pole holding up the bus stop sign, I turned to find Yoshi board the bus. He was wearing dark baggy jeans and a faded beige sweatshirt with his hands stuffed into the pockets and the hood pulled up.

The rickety doors remained open for a few seconds. I pulled my navy scarf tighter around my neck. Spotting me, Yoshi plopped himself down in the seat next to mine. The doors closed, the bus jolting forward.

"Hey," He yawned, shrugging his bag off his shoulder.

"Cold today, isn't it?" I asked, pulling off my oversized headphones (that doubled as ear muffs today) and stuffing them into my bag.

"Mm. Bad news for us," He said casually, pulling a granola bar out of his bag.

"Eh? Why?"

"Cross-country run is today. Didn't you remember?" He asked, taking a bite.

"Ugh, _fantastic_," I muttered, leaning my head against the window.

***

The bus halted at the school's front. Students filed out, blasted by icy wind. I hurried into the building. "See ya!" I called you Yoshi. He waved and began to trudge through the wind to the other side of the building.

I'd worn the Pendent of Azura to school, keeping it carefully tucked under my shirt. Yesterday had made me nervous about what to do next, so I decided to keep it with me at all times. Plus, if anyone at home found it they'd be suspicious.

* * *

About two hours later it was time for gym. I quickly grabbed my sweatshirt, like many others did, and headed out of the locker room.

It was still cloudy and gray outside. At least it wasn't hot.

We were given a map of the trails behind our school and told to follow the route that was highlighted in red Sharpie.

The class set off in groups of 30 so that everyone would be spread out. I shifted my way into one, not caring to notice who I was pared with. I wasn't exactly thrilled with anyone at my school. They didn't seem too fond of me either, so I didn't have a lot of people to socialize with.

I moved ahead of the chattering girls I was grouped with. They were all walking, so it didn't take long till I was jogging alone on the trial. After about 15 minutes, I'd begun to wonder where the other students were. I couldn't hear the distant, muffled voices anymore. I halted and whipped out my map.

While tracing possible routs I had taken by mistake, I heard a loud rustling noise above my head. I squinted through the branches of the large maple tree. Kisshu's head burst out through some leaves.

"Oi!" he shouted. I staggered back a few feet in surprise. How had he found me?

"Kisshu! What in **heck** are you doing here?"

"Ho ho! So _this_ is your human form?" he said, casually sliding off his perch and floating about two feet above me.

"It's not a _form_, this is my normal body!" I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest.

He ignored me, changing the subject, "Alright shorty, here's the plan. You're going to help us figure out what that pendant of yours is capable of. If it makes you useful, we'll keep you on our side as an extra fighter."

"And why should _I_ help _you_, exactly?" I asked flatly, trying hard to ignore the mention of my below-average height.

He lowered to the ground, his expression serious now.

"Because if you don't, I might have to do something…drastic," he hissed with narrowed eyes. The triple tipped sword from before materialized beneath his long, pale fingers.

I winced at the sight of it, remembering how he'd almost tried to kill me the first time we met.

"So, basically…I don't have a choice, right?"

"It would seem that way," he said tonelessly, holding my gaze.

"I guess it's a deal then…" I stated, stretching out my hand. He took it firmly and shook once. Before I even let go he was gone, just like that. I sighed with relief. Even though I'd sounded pretty content, I was extremely nervous. I'd been threatened more in the last 2 days than in my entire life.

Things were going to get a lot more interesting.


	6. Chapter 6: Cafe Mew Mew

_**A Panda's Instinct: **_

_Chapter Six: Café Mew Mew_

I nervously tapped my boot on the cobblestone pavement beneath me. On the bus ride home Yoshi told me to meet him here at 3:00pm. He got off the bus before I could ask him why. I'd never gone to get food with someone outside of my family. Could this be…?

No. I shook that thought off. _It's __**not**__ a date,_ I told myself, _That would never-_

My phone buzzed from inside my sweatshirt pocket. I fumbled for it, accepting a text message and reading the screen quickly.

**_Sorry Im late, almost there!_**

**_-Yoshi_**

**_P.S. Is that a skirt?_**

I slammed my phone shut just in time to see Yoshi edge up to me. I angrily pushed my hands into the warm pockets of my black sweatshirt. He glanced down at my powder blue plaid skirt, then up at my face.

"Oh, get over yourself. It was the only clean thing I had left." I sneered, pulling the wool scarf tied around my neck tighter. It wasn't like I had anything to show off. "So what's up? Why are we here?"

"I'm hungry." He uttered bluntly.

"That's **it**?!" I yelled. He glanced at the sign behind me.

The words _Café Mew Mew: Open! _were printed in elegant cursive.

"What? You really want to go into this girly café?!" I stammered, "What's gotten into you?"

He shrugged and started shuffling towards the entrance. I cold gust of wind sent his layered hair sweeping into his eyes. I shivered.

"Wait for me!" I called after him.

The café was bustling with people. I'd never seen a place outside of school with so many people my age. Feeling uneasy, I shuffled up to where a waitress in a green outfit was standing.

She smoothed down her puffy white apron and guided us to a table towards the back of the large room. I peered up at the vast ceiling. It didn't look this enormous from the outside…

The waitress introduced herself as Lettuce and set two small menus on the table. I picked up on a little edge in her voice that told me she was a shy one. She made as little eye contact with Yoshi as possible. When she turned to leave our table, she bumped into a tall, blond boy who gave her a blank look.

"Sh-shirogane! I can take those for you!" She said to the guy, indicating the stack of books he was carrying.

"It's fine," he said, swiftly walking away. Lettuce stood there for a minute, her cheeks a shade redder. She turned back to Yoshi and I.

"S-so…what'll you have?" she asked, pulling out a small notepad and a pencil. She glanced my way first.

Caught off guard, I scanned the menu for the drinks section and picked the first thing I saw.

"Erm…mint tea please," I stuttered.

She scribbled something on her notepad and turned to Yoshi.

"The same," he said, not looking anywhere in particular.

She collected the menus and hurried in the direction of the kitchen.

"That was an odd combination of books he had there," Yoshi nodded toward the blond guy who disappeared down a hallway, "a bunch of reference books on DNA…and there were a few on-"

"Oh, get over it," I interrupted, "What does it matter to you anyway?"

He sighed, his gaze still fixed on the hallway. I rolled my eyes.

"Anyways, I've been thinking," I began.

"Oh no!" Yoshi said sarcastically. I ignored him and continued, "I've been wondering if I should get a job." His distant glance suddenly fixated on me. "Wha…"

"I think it'd be good for me. You know, extra money. Maybe make some new friends?" I wasn't very acquainted with my classmates. They all seemed organized enough with themselves that they didn't need anyone else. I was just…there. The only friend I really had was Yoshi.

"But Leah, are you sure about this? A job is a big responsibl-"

"What? You think I can't _handle _it?" I protested, leaning back in my chair.

"No…it's just that…"

There was a loud crash that came from the kitchen. Seconds later a girl with a pink dress came out carrying a silver tray with two cups sitting on it. She swiftly moved to our table and set the tray down.

"S-sorry about that. Lettuce bumped into something," she rubbed the back of her neck modestly. "Momomia! Where did you go?!" came a man's voice from the kitchen. "Be right there!" she hollered over her shoulder, "Enjoy your tea!" she told us with a smile and whisked back to the kitchen.

I grasped the warm teacup in my hands, sipping it every so often. Yoshi was quite for a while, his eyes darting from place to place. He was always aware of what was going on around him. Much more than I was, anyways.

"Yeah, I could see it," he mumbled after a few minutes. He sipped his tea.

"Eh? See what?"

"You. Working here."

"Whaaat? I didn't mean _here_ I just meant getting a job, at a place. That's not here."

He shot me an amused grin.

The sudden image of Kisshu's blazing expression erupted in my mind. His sword, edging closer to my neck…

I shivered. No. No one can manipulate me. I'm an individual.

I was so perplexed by my own thoughts that I hadn't tapped in to what was happening around me. Yoshi had called Lettuce over and was asking her something. She looked surprised.

"Uhm…well…if you go down that hall and take a right, the owner's office is right there." She pointed down the hall where the blond guy had tramped through earlier. "Thanks," Yoshi said and shot her a smile. He clutched my sleeve and began to pull me towards the hallway.

I gave him a concerned look.

"Oh come on, can't you be open-minded for once?" he complained, pushing open a door. _What?_ I thought, _for __**once**__?_

I staggered in after Yoshi, who released my sleeve and drifted to one side of the room. The blond guy from earlier was perched on a cushioned chair with his feet resting on the polished desk in front of him. Books were sprawled throughout the room, along with papers filled top-to-bottom with strings of numbers. He glanced up from the thick encyclopedia he was scanning.

"Bathroom is around the corner," he said flatly. He continued reading.

"Er…that's not…" I stammered. "She wants to apply for a job," Yoshi said without hesitation.

"Not hiring," the blond guy replied without looking up.

"Not hiring? You only have five waitresses at the busiest hour of the day!" Yoshi barked.

"They can handle it."

"Just barely," I muttered, hearing another loud crash from the kitchen.

The blond snapped his book shut. "Look. I have all the waitresses I need. If I needed more, I could-"

"Ryou, we need a new system! The girls and I keep getting in each other's way, it's very difficult to work like this," A tall man with a long ponytail appeared from behind the door. "I really think we ought to hire another waitress…" His eyebrows raised at the sight of Yoshi and I. "Guests?" he asked Ryou, smiling warmly in our direction.

"They were just leaving," Ryou asserted.

"See? Even _he_ agrees!" Yoshi said in my defense, pointing to the man who'd just entered. "Yoshi…" I muttered…

"What's going on?" The man with the ponytail asked politely. Placing a hand on his forehead, Ryou gave an irritated sigh. "Fine. The job's yours. But if you get in the way, that's the end."

"Really?" I asked, my face lighting up.

"What wonderful timing!" the tall man standing next to me grinned. He introduced himself as Keiichiro Akasaka. "Your first day is tomorrow, please work hard!"

"Thank you, I will!" We shook hands and Keiichiro lead Yoshi and I to the door.

* * *

"Hey, thanks for defending me back there." I said to Yoshi after we left.

"Well if you're not gonna do it, someone has to."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Just learn to stand up for yourself once in a while, ok?" he asked, ruffling my hair.

"Yeah. I've gotta keep on guard for big scary _men_, right?" I exaggerated, turning towards the direction of the bus stop.

"What?"

"Bye Yoshi!"

I snickered, getting a running start. I stopped after a few strides and waved. He smirked and gave a small gesture in my direction. We both turned, and, feeling significantly more self-confident, I boarded the bus towards home.


	7. Chapter 7: Accomplice

_**A Pandas Instinct **_

_Chapter Seven: Accomplice_

Green light surrounded me. I could make out what I thought was a dim spec in the distance, but as it got larger and closer I knew what it was.

A large panda bear, more than half my height was slowly coming toward me. With each step of its enormous paws, it seemed to shrink in size. By the time it was at my feet, the bear was minuscule enough to pick up.

"Are you lost?" I asked when it looked up at me with its glossy black eyes. I crouched down on my knees but just before I placed my hand on the panda's furry head, it leaped toward me.

But not just toward me. _Into_ me.

I snapped up in shock. Bed sheets entangled my legs and I shook them off. Glancing wirily at my alarm clock, my eyes widened at the time. I sprang into some dark jeans, a gray shirt with a large music note printed on the front and a black sweatshirt. The Pendant of Azura thumped against my collar while I made my way to the front door.

The air outside was moist and still. The sky was completely covered with gray clouds, making it look a few hours earlier than it actually was. I half-jogged down the sidewalk, feeling uneasy. My first day for work and I don't even know what time my shift starts. Lovely.

* * *

Half-jumping off the bus, I darted to the entrance of Café Mew Mew. A frilly sign hanging on the inside of one of the glass doors read 'closed'. Inside it was dim, with only the faint light that was able to penetrate through the clouds illuminating the fancy chairs resting upside-down on the tables.

I almost decided to go back to the bus, but something shifting slowly behind the glass caught my eye. I tried the door, which swung open silently.

Uneasy, I edged into the café. It was difficult to see, and I had no idea where the light switch would have been. A shuffling noise made me jump, and an unpleasantly familiar voice rang out among the silence.

"Well how about _this? _The new mew is too early for her shift!" Kisshu sneered from behind me. I whipped around but was caught mid-turn by his tight grip around my neck. His sword caught the light from one of the windows and glimmered, ready to strike at a second's notice. I struggled against his grip. I was totally defenseless, I squinted through the darkness to try and make out any people walking by that would hear me if I yelled, but there was no one around when I got off the bus, let alone now.

"Let go!" I shouted. Heavy clouds had moved over the sun, and it was impossible for Kisshu to recognize me in the inky blackness.

"Sorry, I'm afraid you'll have to agree to something first."

I thrashed against his grip, but it was no use.

"You're going to be my little spy. I'll tell you what inside information to get, and you _will_ get it. No exceptions," he edged his sword towards me. I could feel the cold temperature radiating off of it. "Agreed?" he whispered icily.

"Ok! Just let go!" I shouted, desperate to let him know it was me.

Kisshu's strong grip faded, but when I turned around he was gone.

"You **idiot**!" I hollered, more or less at myself. I stormed out of the building, just in time to find the blond guy from yesterday calmly strolling up the walk. He looked slightly perplexed at the sight of me.

"I-it was open when I got here," I stammered, trying not to look completely guilty. He whisked past me and entered the café without saying anything. I sighed and followed a few yards behind him. I struggled to remember his name…

He stopped and held the door for me on the way in. I thought of this as on odd thing to do after he'd just brushed me off. I wondered if it was some sort of apology but decided it wasn't important. The café lights flicked on. Stopping mid-way to the hall, I glanced back to see if he was going to lead me somewhere. Instead, he halted in front of me and awkwardly stuck out his hand.

"Shirogane," he said flatly.

"Er…Leah," I shook his hand firmly.

"Right then. Up the hall, to the left and down the stairs. You'll see a large metal door."

I nodded and obeyed, taking brisk strides toward the stairs.


End file.
